


Ten Minutes Before Midnight

by AkisMusicBox, TataBanchou



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark Hour (Persona 3), Demonstration, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Identity Reveal, Naoto is undercover, One Shot, and also a third year transfer student at gekkoukan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 08:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20690171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TataBanchou/pseuds/TataBanchou
Summary: Naoto Shirogane transfers to Gekkoukan High for her third year of high school. Undercover to investigate Apathy Syndorme and the Kirijo Group, she befriends Akihiko Sanada as a means of learning more about the strange club Mitsuru Kirijo is in, S.E.E.S.And he finds out.A one-shot set in an AU where Naoto's aged-up a bit and the police force realizes the perils of using anyone older, because yeah, they've seen 21 Jump Street.





	Ten Minutes Before Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is basically what I'm considering as a 'Proof of Concept' for more AkiNao content. TataBanchou and I started talking about how it would work out of Akihiko and Naoto went to high school together, and it turned in to a super-angsty RP that I just had to turn into a even-angsty-er one-shot because I'm a monster.

Akihiko's hands went numb. For a moment, he thought it was punishment for knocking over her bag in the first place. He was just trying to be nice - he thought he was, anyway, by going to grab her backpack for her, but perhaps it was a lesson on the difference between chivalry and condescension. Just because she agreed to go out to eat with him didn't mean he was her boyfriend, not by a long shot. He was just so eager, so _excited_ that she agreed that he ran in the classroom to grab her bag, and that's when the file slipped out. Straight from the Tokyo Police Department, it was an analysis on the rise in Apathy Syndrome and the strange phenomenon surrounding it - clearly grasping at any straw, any lead that could prove fruitful in finding a cause. Most notably were mentions of the Kirijo Group, strands here and there, but nothing they could thread together at the moment. Their last-ditch effort was through the school the Group paid for, and the daughter that attended. A profile of Mitsuru was included as well, with her affiliation with S.E.E.S. circled in red ink. _ "Too observant - find less astute member to utilize for information." _

_Has to be a punishment. A punishment for being so...stupid._ _ The Detective Prince, in Port Island, for an internship with the criminology laboratory? Fuck, I'm stupid. _

The sound of a sharp inhale broke him from his self-diatribe. He turned slowly as if his body knew what it was supposed to do, but his brain couldn't comprehend. Naoto was frozen, a hand stretched out as if trying to stop a train crash - completely powerless. _No. No, that's me. Wrong again._

"Guess Shinji was right, again." He shook his head incredulously. "I guess things will be easier now. Now that I know for sure I am a moron." He shook the file, unsure if he should return it or throw it across the room. "Ya know, I thought you really understood me. Like, you didn't act like any of those other girls, so I assumed that was better. That nothing could be worse than being treated like a piece of meat, but I guess that's what being a moron gets ya."

Naoto gasped. "No, Sanada-san! It's a misunderstanding! It isn't like that! I... I!" She took a deep breath "I admit that I approached you due to the investigation, but I never had the intention to toy with your feelings!"

He barked a laugh. "That's rich. You expect me to believe the Detective Prince didn't see this coming? You expect me to think you're as dumb as I am? No way." He clenched a fist to keep himself in check. "I get it now. I'm really only good for one thing."

Her voice trembled as she felt tears prickle in her eyes. "Sanada-san! Please... I'm sorry..."

"Midnight," he growled as he made his way towards the door. "Get to my dorm ten minutes before midnight, and I'll show you what you need to complete your investigation."

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "No! I - I don't care about the investigation anymore. You're more important than that, please."

His hand twitched at her touch. It stung that just minutes ago, he would have craved this kind of contact, but right now he had to fight the temptation to swat her away. "Midnight. If you care at all to understand what I've been through, what I've dedicated my life too, you'll be there."

She let her hand slide away and she stared at her feet. "I will."

He took a deep breath and walked past her, closing the classroom door behind himself. His eyes burned, threatening to spill tears, so he pinched the bridge of his nose. Before he was fully out of earshot, he heard a sharp, ragged inhale cut short - the sound of someone clamping a hand over their mouth to keep their sobs contained.

* * *

Twelve minutes until midnight, Akihiko emerged from the dorm and took a seat on the stairs. The ache of his muscles felt as comfortable to him as the weight of his Evoker strapped to his hip. He had spent the evening training and crafting what he needed to say to her. He had to make the situation _clear_, and now was the only time he felt he finally had the leverage to do it.

He set the spare Evoker and its holster on the step next to him as he adjusted the straps on his gloves. He had contemplated wearing a bladed pair, as they caused considerably higher damage, but it seemed a bit overkill for his intention. _Shinji would call this whole thing overkill._

He felt her presence before he heard her - he always had, and it had always given him comfort up until that point. When he looked up to see her, she was staring at him, wide-eyed. Her eyes darted from his hip, to his fists, to him, multiple times in a matter of moments.

He offered her the Evoker, safely nestled in its holster. "You know how to strap this thing on, right? It's almost time."

She didn't move. "Is that a...firearm? How...how?"

He let her stammer for a few moments, then said, "Is that really the most incredulously part of this situation?" He shook the bundle at her again. When she still didn't take it, he checked his phone and sighed. He stood and wrapped the belt of the holster around her waist himself and fastened it around the shocked girl.

Once she had a moment to collect herself, he pointed for her to look in the direction of the school as the world went green. She shook as she saw Tartarus climb its way through the sky, coffins dotting the street in an instant. She looked to him, and it turned his stomach to think about how he appeared in that ghastly light.

He pointed to the Evoker on her hip. "Don't touch it unless it's an emergency." He then shifted their attention to Tartarus. "We're walking that way until I can show you what it's really causing Apathy Syndrome. We might make it there, but since it's just the two of us, some of the weaker ones might feel brave and head our way. If you see anything, tell me." He started walking before she could acknowledge him.

As he expected, it took only a few blocks of walking past coffins before he spied the sludge-like form of a Maya down the street. As it hadn't noticed him yet, he capitalized on his advantage. Holding an arm out to slow Naoto, he freed his Evoker from his holster and pressed it to his forehead.

He heard her try to say something, anything, but was cut off when he pulled the trigger. Blue light flashed and the sound of glass shattering reverberated through the air. He knew that this was overkill - one punch from himself would have killed the thing, but he wanted to make a point. A single bolt of lightning turned the Maya into nothingness, leaving a scorch mark on the ground where the bolt struck.

"Those are your culprits. The manifestation of negative human emotions. If you're not in a coffin when it turns midnight, you're at risk. And that was my Persona, Polydeuces."

He pointed his Evoker down the street, gesturing to a Tiara creeping toward them a block away. "Wanna see him again?" Almost frozen in shock and awe, she nodded. He has to fight the smirk of satisfaction that threatened to creep over his face - the satisfaction of surpassing someone else's expectations.

He took a few steps further towards the Tiara to give her a better view. "Evoker," he said, holding up the gun. He put it to his temple. "Focuses your fear of death. Gives you the ability to call a Persona forth. Polydeuces!" He pulled the trigger and the Persona struck it lightly. The Tiara fell over, flailing its tendrils in the air.

"You can fight with their power or special weapons created by the Kirijo Group." He waves his gloved fist in the air before he ran towards the writing form. A quick one-two was all it took to make it dissolve.

He closed the gap between him and Naoto as he studied her - clearly, she was completing the puzzle in her mind. By the time he reached her, she said, "So, during the Dark Hour phenomenon, people's negative emotions manifest into a physical form and attack those who aren't transmogrified into a coffin-shaped crystal. And you patrol the city to hunt the very same creatures with weapons funded by the Kirijo Group as well as with a powerful avatar that represents yourself."

He nodded, pleased that the expedition wouldn't take long with her quick learning. He pointed to the Evoker on her hip again. "You may have a Persona too, based on the fact that you're awake. We won't know for sure until you try it, but don't unless you want to end up in the hospital for a few days. First time wrecks you."

He gestured again to Tartarus. "That's their home. We can't go in with only one Persona user, but we can make our way toward it if you wanna see it."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I admit that I'm curious after being on this case for so long. It's tempting when the truth is so near my reach. But," She looked at him with sad eyes. "You've already done too much for me today, more than I deserve..."

He clenched his jaw, and she stopped talking. "This isn't just a favor. This is how I'm going to convince you to shut down the investigation and tell them whatever you need to so they just leave it alone. All of this is dangerous if you don't have the right training. I've been at this since middle school, and the only thing doing a full-blown investigation will do is put more people in danger. We finally are making progress on figuring out the cause of this all, and we just need a little more time. I need you to try and buy us this time. At least...that's what I'm going to have to tell Mitsuru and Arisato when they found out I gave a spare Evoker to a non-S.E.E.S. member and drug her out during the Dark Hour." He shook his head, almost laughing. "My ass is grass once I get back to the dorm, but what's new?"

Naoto furrowed her brow. "With my influence or not, it is just a matter of time before the higher-ups send a task force to investigate. No matter how much influence the Kirijo Group has with the government, news of Apathy Syndrome is already reaching Tokyo."

She held him still with her gaze. "But I promise, I'll do everything I can to help you with this. I don't have the power of a corporation but I know people who are in debt with the Shirogane Family who can help us to buy time. I'm your ally on this Sanada-san. All I want is to reach the truth and help the victims. And if I can you with anything, I'll-"

Her gaze caught something behind him, and by the time he heard the flapping of wings and a terrible screech, she buried her shoulder into his torso and knocked them both to the ground.

Feathers and talons barely miss them as a flock of Eagles swooped overhead. He tasted blood as he pushed himself up and ran his tongue over his split lip. As he righted himself, he recognized the crown of a mask haloed in white on the birds. "Tch," he scoffed. Keeping a hand on Naoto's back to keep her low, he summoned Polydeuces once again and made lightning rain from the sky. The birds fell to the ground and twitched, close to the edge of death.

He offered Naoto a hand and helped her to her feet. "Seems there a bit bold tonight. Forget it, we're headed back to the dorms." He kept a hold of her hand as he led her through the slowly dying Shadow corpses.

They walked back to the dorm in silence, and to his luck, it was uneventful. Positively barren. When he saw the entrance to the dorm, he grew despondent. _Hell of a way to bring your first girl back to the dorms_.

"I don't know if anyone's gonna be in the lobby right now, but you can't get back to your home until the hour's over. Just...stick to the facts. No need to add too much embellishment on 'why' I took you out." He let go of her hand and opened the door, bracing himself and opening the door.

* * *

Naoto was relieved that the lobby was empty. She thought Akihiko was as well, but as she watched his shoulders sink and his chest heave, she wasn't sure if that was purely accurate. _ Maybe it's just the light. This green adds such an eerie atmosphere. _ He started unstrapping his gloves and threw them on the couch, and then, himself.

She released the Evoker from her waist and set it gingerly on the coffee table. "Sanada-san, may I ask you a question?"

His eyes seemed lethargic as he turned his attention to her. "Yeah. What is it?" Blood beaded at his lip.

Somehow, _this_ was worse. Before he was angry and frustrated, but he had a purpose. He made a decision to appeal for her help, even if he'd rather never see her again. But now, he was drained. He spoke his peace, he did what he thought was right, and now, he awaited his punishment. Not a fight to be had.

She offered him her handkerchief. "How...did you get involved? With all of this?"

It took him a moment to remember why, but he took it and dabbed his lip. _Worse. Blood looks so much worse bathed in this light._ "Mitsuru asked, and I said yes. I'd do just about anything to get stronger."

She could see the lines on his hands where the seams of the gloves and rubbed against his skin. It seemed strange, that those long, delicate fingers could clench and destroy the literal manifestation of negativity. "Is it truly that important? To get stronger?"

He gave the smallest hint of a nod, the handkerchief still clutched in his hand. "Yes. I wasn't before. I won't let myself get caught unprepared again."

Naoto balled her hands into fists, steeling herself to keep pressing. "I always noticed something different about you. You're always unsatisfied or frustrated. At first, I thought that was just your competitive side, but you never displayed any true enjoyment when you won a bout or even an official match, as if they were more like a step on a long term plan than the goal."

He blinked as if he didn't understand the question implied. "Wouldn't that be concerning, though? Celebrating beating the shit out of another high-schooler? My goal is to not let anyone else die. That's it."

The question _"Who?" _burned at her lips, but she couldn't do it. She had already asked so much of him. She couldn't strip away one more piece of his armor. _I wish I could make him some tea. Stupid electricity._ She took a breath. _ I don't think I've ever seen his hands like this before. Uncovered. _ She took a seat in the chair catty-corner from his and folded her hands in her lap.

_He looks tired._

They sat in silence until the hour was over, and when the pale moonlight took back over, he asked, "Want me to escort you home?"

Naoto stood. "I'll be perfectly safe on my own. Thank you, Sanada-san." She bit her lip. "I wish...things didn't happen this way. But, I am grateful that you still trusted me enough to reveal all of this. I will do everything in my power to slow down this investigation. You have my word." She winced at the turn of phrase. _What does my word mean to him anymore? I lied._

His eyes darted away and stared at the spot on the handkerchief. "I...I'll wash it and get it back to you tomorrow. I know a thing or two about getting blood stains out." He looked up. "It'll all be fine in the morning."

_"Keep it," _ she wanted to say. She wanted to give him something, anything as a gesture of her remorse, but if she did that, she couldn't guarantee he'd talk to her again.

_"Sleep well,"_ would have been callous, as if she was blind to his current state.

"Goodnight," she managed, realizing that the best option was simply to relieve him of her presence. She made her way to the exit and opened the door. Before she could escape, however, a low croak of, "Night, Shirogane," broke her heart.

As she closed the door behind her, the night air had never felt so cold.


End file.
